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Official Review by E.A. Torchinov
Official Review
of the dissertation titled “Mawlid Bayram among Muslims of the Middle Volga Region” by M.I. Shamshutdinova, submitted for the degree of Candidate of Philosophical Sciences in the specialty 09.00.13 — Religious Studies, Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy of Culture
The relevance of M.I. Shamshutdinova’s dissertation topic, “Mawlid Bayram among Muslims of the Middle Volga Region,” from the perspective of philosophical and religious studies lies in its pioneering examination, within Russian Islamic studies, of the role and significance of a religious festival in the spiritual life of Muslims in the Middle Volga region. Historically, ideological constraints largely deprived scholars of the opportunity to conduct such objective research. Religious and ritual practices of believers have been and continue to serve as regulators of individual and societal behavior, influencing the societal atmosphere and shaping moral ideals within the framework of this religious tradition. The theoretical exploration of the religious-spiritual culture of previous generations of Russia’s peoples can contribute to developing a concept of peaceful coexistence among diverse religious communities, fostering religious tolerance, and establishing predictable value orientations in our country. The object of the study—spiritual culture of Muslims in the Middle Volga region—and the subject—religious festivals of Muslims in this region, exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday celebration—are thoroughly addressed. The research achieves its stated goal, namely, to elucidate the distinctive features of religious festivals among Muslims of the Middle Volga region, with a focus on the Mawlid festival. The tasks outlined by the author—examining the peculiarities of the religious life of Tatar Muslims from a historical perspective, characterizing the essence of the Mawlid festival, and analyzing its role as a concentrated expression of the religious-spiritual life of the region’s Muslim believers—are addressed with professionalism.
The scientific novelty of the study lies in its unprecedented exploration, within Russian Islamic studies, of the Mawlid festival as a phenomenon of the spiritual culture of Muslims in the Middle Volga region. Drawing on extensive factual material, archival sources, observations, and direct participation in the Mawlid festival, the author successfully identifies the ideological, artistic, and aesthetic aspects of the subject. The author introduces into academic circulation a range of previously unknown handwritten and oral religious literature. Through close engagement with the ritual practices of Muslims in the Middle Volga region, the author reconstructs various versions of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday celebration. The dissertation’s appendix includes interlinear translations of certain versions of the Mawlid festival (pp. 239–286) and a table providing a structural analysis of rare sources (pp. 217–236).
The significance of M.I. Shamshutdinova’s research is underpinned by its robust scientific methodology, which relies on a substantial volume of analyzed material, a rich factual base, and the use of previously unstudied sources (Old Tatar, Turkish, and oral traditions). The list of informants who provided the author with essential insights (pp. 237–238) is particularly noteworthy. Observations, descriptions, and analysis of material collected during fieldwork form a solid foundation for the study. Rare publications held in the Kazan University library further enrich the dissertation’s content.
The dissertation by M.I. Shamshutdinova comprises an introduction, two chapters (five sections), a conclusion, appendices, and a bibliography (280 references in Russian, English, Tatar, Old Tatar, and Turkish). The introduction provides a general overview of the work, justifying the relevance of the chosen topic, assessing its level of exploration in Islamic studies, and defining the research objectives, tasks, and scope of issues addressed. Each section and chapter concludes with necessary summaries, while the conclusion concisely presents the overall results of the study.
Chapter One, titled “Muslim Festivals among Tatars,” consists of two sections. The first section provides a detailed analysis of the main periods of Islam’s penetration and development in the Middle Volga region (pp. 12–36). The author identifies seven key stages of Islam’s presence in the region: early, Bulgar, Golden Horde, Kazan Khanate, Islam under Christianization, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods. Throughout these periods, Islam in the Middle Volga region did not serve as a source of interconfessional conflict. The tradition of good neighborliness with other religions during periods of statehood was shaped by the trade-economic character of the population and the societal structure (pp. 12–26). Following the loss of statehood and during periods of militant atheism, religion served as a consolidating system for the ethnos (pp. 27–32). Due to historical conditions and the geographic isolation of northern Muslims from the center of Islamic civilization, Islam in the Middle Volga region developed according to its internal dynamics, characterized by religious tolerance and peacefulness (p. 34).
The second section of Chapter One addresses the systematization of religious festivals, rituals, and customs of Muslims in the Middle Volga region (pp. 36–49). The author views the system of religious festivals, customs, and rituals as a central phenomenon of the spiritual-religious life of the region’s Muslims. In analyzing the peculiarities of the region’s ritual system, the author focuses on the religious-artistic aspects of the subject (pp. 38–41, 46–48). The author’s conclusions regarding the interconnection between pre-Islamic customs and their peaceful integration into the Islamic ritual system are particularly noteworthy (pp. 40–41, 44). The author also highlights an emerging intraconfessional conflict between traditions preserved by the community and innovations introduced by younger religious figures (p. 49).
Chapter Two consists of three sections. The first section, “The Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday Celebration: Origins and Spread in the Islamic World,” examines the genesis of the Mawlid festival. A primary reason for its rapid spread was the veneration of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, satisfying the need for personal devotion and meeting the aesthetic demands of believers (pp. 53–59). The emotional approach inherent in the ritual’s artistic aspects, combined with faith in the supernatural and folk traditions, facilitated the festival’s widespread adoption across various social strata, including Muslims of the Middle Volga region (pp. 60–66), despite intense debates among Muslim theologians.
The second section of Chapter Two, “Suleiman Chelebi’s Poem ‘Mawlid-an-Nabi’ and the ‘Book of Mawlid’ as the Literary Basis of ‘Mawlid Bayram’ among Tatars,” provides a detailed structural analysis of sources representing the essence of the Mawlid festival (pp. 68–128). Books about the Prophet Muhammad hold a prominent place in the home libraries of Tatar Muslims, second only to the Quran (pp. 86–126). Through comparative analysis of printed, handwritten, and oral variants, the author introduces several versions of “Mawlid-an-Nabi” into academic circulation, including a previously unknown variant published by Alexander Kazem-Bek in Kazan in the mid-19th century (pp. 107–128). Based on fieldwork, the author concludes that the “Book of Mawlid,” created by Muslims of the Middle Volga region as a work of religious art, was integrated into their religious practices (p. 127). This book constructs an ethnic identification of the Prophet Muhammad, simplifying his image and emphasizing human qualities such as patience, kindness, and mercy, thereby bringing him closer to the common people.
The third section of Chapter Two, “Mawlid Bayram among Tatars,” analyzes various versions of the Mawlid festival, identifying the main components of the festive ritual (pp. 153–154). The author examines the artistic techniques employed by religious figures to evoke emotional engagement in the ritual. Religious attitudes toward the world and aesthetic engagement with reality are cultivated in believers through a distinct artistic style, fostering an optimistic worldview (pp. 180–189). The author argues that “Mawlid Bayram” fulfills the aesthetic need for emotional expression of religious sentiments among Muslims of the Middle Volga region (pp. 190–191).
In the Conclusion, M.I. Shamshutdinova presents well-substantiated findings that logically follow from the conducted research (pp. 192–194). The abstract and publications fully reflect the content, arguments, and conclusions of the dissertation.
However, certain shortcomings warrant attention. In the third section of Chapter Two, the analysis occasionally devolves into a mechanical recounting of the ritual process, overburdened with factual material. The author’s focus on the artistic aspects of ritual practice sometimes overshadows the analytical process. The scope of the study could have been more clearly defined, as the inclusion of material related to the ritual practices of Tatar Muslims worldwide (e.g., America, Sweden, Finland, Kazakhstan, Orenburg region) was unnecessary.
Overall, M.I. Shamshutdinova successfully accomplishes her research objectives. Her work is grounded in an exceptionally rich factual base, derived from years of fieldwork. I consider M.I. Shamshutdinova’s dissertation a serious scholarly contribution, deserving high evaluation and attesting to the professionalism of the candidate as a researcher.
Conclusion: The dissertation “Mawlid Bayram among Muslims of the Middle Volga Region” by M.I. Shamshutdinova represents a complete and independent study that addresses a significant academic problem. In terms of its content, theoretical, and scientific significance, the work meets all requirements set by the Higher Attestation Commission’s regulations for candidate dissertations. The author, Masguda Islamovna Shamshutdinova, merits the award of the degree of Candidate of Philosophical Sciences in the specialty 09.00.13 — Religious Studies, Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy of Culture.
Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies of the East, Faculty of Philosophy, Saint Petersburg State University
/E.A. Torchinov/
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